English Literary Studies

To provide students with the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of English Literary Studies, enabling students to pursue specialised fields of study (via guided pathways in specialist areas) or to choose a flexible arrangement of topics which bypass traditional period or national boundaries.

The MA in English Literary Studies offers a number of special features. Some of the American Literature and Culture topics will engage with contemporary examples of American art and culture through field work. The topics relating to medieval literature and culture use connections to the School of History and to the archives in Armagh, Belfast and Trinity College Dublin. The Shakespeare and Renaissance Studies topics include collaborative teaching with University College Dublin.

Students and staff across the degree also take part in a number of discussion groups, workshops and conferences both within and outside the University. There is the opportunity to organise and/or participate in the School's annual PG conference ('Common Ground') and weekly research seminars.

The MA in English Literary Studies offers a flexible system in which students can choose either specific topics to create a focused programme of study or widely diverse areas of literary study, according to their own preferences. The School's literary studies staff comprise the largest group within the School of English and are thus able to offer a wide range of kinds of study: from the earliest writings in English (studied in their own historical and cultural contexts but also in relation to new digital cultures), to contemporary American literature and culture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (incorporating literature and other aspects of culture, such as television and graphic arts).

Other strengths of the School's expertise include Renaissance literature (particularly women's writing, the history of the child, and Shakespeare and World Cinema), eighteenth-century literature (women's writing, slavery and abolition, and Indian literatures in English) and nineteenth and twentieth-century literature (with specialisms including the fiction of Dickens, the fin de siècle and modernism).

In addition to the substantive modules offered by the School of English, students will take part in a programme of research training offered by the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. This provides training in core research skills, as well as a range of options for developing additional skills in an interdisciplinary forum.

Students may select from a wide range of topics within generic modules, permitting either specialism or diversity in the choice of study, from the earliest writings in English to the contemporary. After two semesters of taught modules, all MA students on the programme then complete a 15,000 word dissertation, which they choose and design and then work on in conjunction with an academic supervisor.

Modules include:

Semester 1

• Advanced Literary Studies (20 CATS)
• Literary Research Methods (20 CATS)
• Making Knowledge Work (20 CATS)

Semester 2

• Developing Research Specialisms (60 CATS)

Summer period (June-September 2017)

• Dissertation (60 CATS)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

MA: a good 2.1 Honours degree in English or joint or combined Honours with English as a major subject or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.

PGDip: normally a 2.1 Honours degree in English or joint or combined Honours with English as a major subject or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. All applicants are required to submit a piece of written work to assess their suitability for this programme.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes. Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this programme, our partner INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability to entry to this programme.

Please click the links below for more information:

• English for University Study - an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
• Pre-sessional English - a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English

Applicants from the UK and other EU countries
Please note: Where it states 'UK residents' qualifying residency and citizenship/nationality criteria apply.

* Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) Postgraduate Research Studentships

Funded by the Department of Employment and Learning, these are offered in most subject areas.

UK residents: fees plus maintenance
Other EU residents: fees only

* DEL (CAST) Co-operative Awards in Science and Technology

These awards are for specific research projects in collaboration with an industrial sponsor in the following Schools/areas: Biomedical Sciences in School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences; School of Biological Sciences; School of Pharmacy; School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering; School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and the School of Mathematics and Physics.

UK residents: fees plus maintenance
Other EU residents: fees only

A CAST studentship may also include a contribution from the industrial collaborating body.

Visit the School websites listed above for details concerning potential DEL CAST

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Awards are available for both Masters and Doctoral degrees in humanities subject areas.

Applicants should apply via Queen's for funding and should not apply directly to AHRC.

UK residents: fees plus maintenance
Other EU residents: fees only

Queen's School Funding Opportunities

Some Schools have funding available for postgraduate PhD or taught Masters courses.

North-South Postgraduate Scholarships

Scholarships are available for students undertaking a recognised Masters or the first year of a PhD programme (taught or research) in the other Irish jurisdiction.

Applicants from outside the EU
If you are applying to Queen's from outside the EU, you are advised to explore fully the funding opportunities for studying in the UK available from sources in your own country. Some closing dates are as early as a year before commencing studies, so please make sure to apply in good time.

Some of the main awards are listed:

Department for International Development (DFID) Shared Scholarship Scheme

This award is for specific one-year taught postgraduate courses. The award cover tuition fees, a maintenance grant and travel costs. Only students from developing Commonwealth countries are eligible to apply.

British Chevening Awards

* The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds a number of British Chevening scholaships for postgraduate study, mainly for one-year taught Masters degrees.
* Candidates must apply directly to the University for admission before applying for a Chevening Scholarship. Contact the British Embassy, British High Commission or British Council Office in your own country.

Applicants from USA
If you are a US citizen, you are eligible to apply for the following awards tenable at Queen's

George J Mitchell Scholarships

Fulbright Scholarships

Mary McNeill Scholarship (for US and Canadian citizens undertaking MA Irish Studies